PARADED AS HEROES PAID AS PAUPERS

Warm words and platitudes will not help POA members improve their quality of life.

As we finally begin to move away from command mode in our prisons and hopefully wave goodbye to the scourge of Covid outbreaks it is easy to forget the tremendous effort by everyone over the last two and a half years. Way back in March 2020 when the country was locked down, brave frontline staff in our prisons, psychiatric hospitals, Youth Custody settings, escort services, immigration centres and related sites, continued to work in circumstances that nobody could have predicted. Staff placed their own personal health and that of their families at risk by caring for the most damaged people society could offer. We did this against a predicted backdrop of over 2,700 prisoner deaths. It is down to the professionalism, bravery, and commitment of frontline staff that thousands of prisoners lives have been saved and predictions have thankfully been way off the mark. To date we have seen 197 prisoner deaths due to Covid – far less than 2,700. Sadly we have also witnessed 36 staff deaths due to Covid.

Whilst staff have been burning themselves out to get through the pandemic, we have been classed many times as Heroes. We have been ‘Hidden Heroes’, ‘Frontline Heroes’, 'Public Sector Heroes’ and ‘Key Worker Heroes’. All of these accolades entirely appropriate but totally meaningless without reward and recognition. Whilst we all face a cost-of-living crisis that we have never seen the likes of, warm words and platitudes will not help POA members improve their quality of life. When I hear of staff being unable to afford fuel for their cars to travel to work and some Prisons opening their own food banks for staff, it should tell you all you need to know about the paupers salary we now pick up.

PRISONS OPENING THEIR OWN FOODBANKS FOR STAFF

Hopefully by the time you read these jottings a significant pay award is on its way, but one thing is for certain;

POA members are paraded as Heroes but paid as Paupers.

During a very positive and successful POA Conference week all the important issues that POA members face where discussed and debated. It was great to see so many first-time delegates get up to speak and it was pleasing to see conference adopt motions that keep up our proud trade union history and keep the POA firmly on the trade union map. Supporting the ‘Right to Food’ campaign, the ‘Hillsborough Law’ and outlawing ‘Fire and Rehire’ are the sort of issues all genuine
trade unions should be campaigning to achieve, along with their brothers and sisters in the wider trade union movement. Our place on the international stage remains occupied with our support for ‘Justice for Columbia’. I often wonder what critics of such campaigns would expect the international community to do for us if we experienced similar outrages.

THE ATTRITION CRISIS CONTINUES AT PACE WITHIN OUR PRISONS

Trade unionism is internationalism and the POA are proud to both support other trade union causes and fight for our comrades who experience international fascism. Trade unions act as one and we should never forget that.

The attrition crisis continues at pace within our prisons. It is now a publicised fact that for every four new recruits we keep only one. Although pay is a major leaving factor, we should not forget that lack of support from managers, working conditions, non-family friendly shift patterns and lack of staff facilities all contribute to the dire statistics surrounding leaving rates. Our retirement age of 68 does not help; imagine being an 18-year-old recruit and having to work for 50 years on the frontline before you can access your pension? Is it any
surprise that new recruits leave after a few short years?

As well as coping with all the pressures on the landings and in our secure hospitals, staff now have to contend with a mental health crisis affecting them. More and more colleagues are forced to take sick leave because of the incidents they have to deal with. PTSD is rife amongst staff and this was rightly highlighted at conference where delegates condemned HMPPS for their lack of mental health support for staff.

It's not just the lack of resources on site that causes breakdowns – it is the unsympathetic approach from some Governors that escalates the issues. Refusing to give staff sick leave excusals when their absence is clearly related to the numerous incidents at work they have dealt with over the years is diabolical at best and callous at worst.

IMAGINE BEING AN 18 YEAR OLD RECRUIT AND HAVING TO WORK FOR 50 YEARS ON THE FRONTLINE BEFORE YOU CAN ACCESS YOUR PENSION

Hiding behind policy when it suits and looking for excuses not to grant excusals but ignoring policy in relation to grievances and disciplinaries just adds to the anger, frustration and sense of injustice we all feel. Shame that procedural justice does not apply to staff! It’s a pity frontline staff cannot enjoy the benefits of being a Governor grade, who so often in the same position are informed they can ‘work from home’ so they stay on full pay.

Shame on those leaders who refuse to show empathy to THEIR staff.

I would love to negotiate a policy that kept staff on full pay if they are suffering from mental illness due to work or who are battling life threatening illnesses, so they can ease the financial burden before they decide what is best for them, but I fear the appetite is simply not there amongst the hierarchy. It’s a really sad indictment on the service that they place their employees on half pay at a time when they most need full pay due to the battles they face to get well. I can only say its shameful, but the POA will keep pressing this issue. SHAME THAT

PROCEDURAL JUSTICE DOES NOT APPLY TO STAFF

The POA memorial at the National Arboretum was finally unveiled on 12th May. I hope you enjoy the many photos from the event in this edition of Gatelodge. It is a fitting tribute to all POA members and ex-forces staff who have served the Crown in our secure settings both public and private sector. The hoops we had to jump through have been well worth the effort. I would encourage you all to pay the site a visit.

We continue to gain success for our members, most notably our pensions victory for ‘injury to feelings’. Whilst I understand that some members feel aggrieved they will not be compensated because they did not submit a claim, I must reiterate that there really is nothing more that the NEC can do than we already have. Since 2017 we have published 25 Circulars over the pension changes, with six separate requests for POA members to submit claims for injury to feelings. If members do not read circulars or fail to act on our instructions then that is out of our hands. The moral of the story is simple – please read our circulars and act upon our requests. All circulars are posted on our website so even if members are off duty, they can still access them.

As summer approaches I wish you and your families some well earned rest and recuperation. Make sure you enjoy your leave, switch off, forget about work, and recharge your batteries. Until next time – all the best.